Take Our March Madness Fitness Challenge!

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March is a time of year when college sports enthusiasts and avid basketball fans look forward to the major, single-elimination Division 1 basketball tournament, March Madness. This time is also a huge month for Spring Breakers and those gearing up for the kickoff of bikini season.

Both March Madness and the promise of spring should have you feeling motivated to get fit and be in your best shape ever — so use this March Madness Fitness Challenge as an incentive to kickstart your fitness before warmer weather hits.

This 26-day challenge has a different fitness activity assigned to each of the days of the week. The activities target varying muscles groups and work your body in different ways. For the arms, abs, back and legs & butt days, you have the option to complete your own workout for these specific areas of the body or you can do the list of exercises provided below. Additionally, for those same days, start and end with a 10-minute cardio warm-up and cooldown of your choice. See below for the assigned sets and repetitions, based upon your level of fitness.

Get ready to be 10 x fitter in just 30 days!

Fitness Levels:

Beginner: 2 sets of 10 repetitions per exercise

Intermediate: 3 sets of 12 repetitions per exercise

Advanced: 4 sets of 14 repetitions per exercise

Repetition Challenge Days

The 1,000 Repetition Challenge is comprised of a single circuit consisting of 10 different exercises. You are to complete 10 repetitions of each of those assigned exercises. Following the completion of the circuit, repeat the exact exercises and number of repetitions nine more times, totaling 10 completions or 1000 repetitions altogether.

Time how long it takes you to finish the entire challenge and write it down. Be sure to keep track of your times because with each week, your goal is to beat the previous week’s challenge completion time.

Note that the last day of the March Madness Challenge is an 1,100 Repetition Challenge. The exercises and repetitions will stay the same; the only difference is that you will do the circuit one additional time, totalling 11 completions. Just as before, you will record the time it took you to finish the challenge. You want this time to beat, however, or at least equal, the time it took you to complete the 1000 Repetition Challenge on the very first day of the March Madness Fitness Challenge.

Repetition Challenge:

10 burpees

10 reverse crunches

10 squat jumps

10 push-ups (regular or knee)

10 jumping jacks

10 leg raises

10 tuck jumps with thigh clap

10 mountain climbers (both legs=one rep)

10 Russian twists

10 high knees (both legs=one rep)

Arm Days

The exercises can be performed using a combination of dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, cable machines and bodyweight. You know your body, so select the amount of weight that will challenge you while also suiting your level of fitness.

Exercises:

Bicep curls

Triceps dips

Push-ups (regular or knee)

Lateral raises

Upright row

Shoulder press

Arm circles

Triceps kickbacks

Front raises

Ab Days

The only equipment needed for these exercises is a fitness mat or a cushioned surface.

Exercises:

Plank

Crunches

Side crunches

Flutter kicks

Russian twists

Scissors

Reverse crunches

Leg raises

Bicycle kicks

V-crunches

Back Days

These exercises can be performed using a combination of the following equipment items, depending on your fitness level: bodyweight, barbell or dumbbells.

Exercises:

Bent-over or cable rows

Lat pull-downs

Back extension

Chin-ups (weighted or assisted)

Pull-ups (weighted or assisted)

Shoulder shrugs

Reverse flys

Deadlifts

Inverted rows

Supermans

Legs And Butt Days

These exercises can be performed using a combination of the following equipment items, depending on your preference and level of fitness: bodyweight, barbell, dumbbells, cable machines or kettlebells.

Exercises:

Split squats

Squats

Timed wall sit

Leg press

Knee & hip extension

Knee & hip flexion

Calf raises

Walking lunges

Reverse lunges

Single leg bridges

Cardio Days

These days are dedicated to an entire hour of cardiovascular exercise. You can choose to do one exercise or a combination of the options listed below. Some of the exercises can either be performed outdoors or in a gym setting.

Exercises options:

Running

Biking

Elliptical

Stairmaster

Rowing Machine

Swimming

Rest Days

On rest days, you have the time off to let your body and muscles recover. Be sure to stretch out your muscles in order to help them repair and also to improve your flexibility. If you own or have access to a foam roller, roll out your muscles for increased blood flow and myofascial release.

Elise is a graduate of The College of William and Mary with a degree in Kinesiology and with a Psychology minor. She is currently a contributing Fitness writer and she is an Exercise and Health enthusiast. Her goal is to write articles that inspire readers to unleash the full potential of their minds and bodies by defeating physical and mental challenges through hard work, discipline and willpower.